They are not only building (eight or more) Volvo Ocean 65s down at Persico Marine’s substantial modern facility in Nembro

At the beginning of August Persico Marine delivered the fourth hull of the new fleet of Volvo Ocean 65s with hull number 5 already well advanced. Meanwhile, Marcello Persico, managing director of Persico Marine, has also recently signed two prestigious new contracts for 72ft custom raceboat designs, for sistership Mini Maxis Rán V and Chrisco. ‘For Persico Marine a new chapter begins,’ explains Marcello, ‘since with these two Mini Maxis our main point of contact is the final owner.’

The new Rán has been designed as was the team’s previous boat by Rolf Vroljik, with the decision to award the entire build contract to Persico Marine being based largely upon the added value that the Rán team identified in terms of service. That the Persico Marine team also now includes some of the best boatbuilders available on the international market also played a part in the choice of yard for the Rán project.

‘For clients like these,’ says Marcello, ‘Persico Marine can offer an unusually integrated service, from tooling through to fit-out and final painting, which in turn delivers speed and economy together with excellent quality.’

Persico Marine now boast 6,000m2 of enclosed build space – more than enough to allow the two new Mini Maxis to come together alongside the company’s ongoing VO65 output. The same female mould tooling will be used for both Rán and her sistership Chrisco which also leads to some useful build economies – even for these top-end programmes.

Rán is the goddess of the sea in Viking mythology, while Rán Racing is a well-established professional team active on both the TP52 and Mini Maxi circuits.

‘In the past,’ concludes Marcello Persico, ‘the Rán team has shown a willingness to bet on the most advanced technology possible. Hence the demands placed on us by this winning team will only further drive up the quality level here – which is already of a very high standard in terms of our current output.’

Top: Persico Marine built the hulls and many of the other major components for Italy’s Luna Rossa’s reliable and stiff AC72.Below: final CNC machining in Persico’s expansive facility of the plug for the female hull moulds for the new Volvo VO65 fleet

Reverse engineering Some projects may need the creation of new custom components to precisely match existing parts, requiring accurate reverse engineering. To ensure a perfect match between new and existing parts Persico Marine uses multiple technologies for its control and testing operations, including the creation of new 3D files to complement the original element where appropriate.Giuliano Luzzato